Vietnam’s employment department proposes adding newly-designated public holiday to Labor Code
Vietnam News 17:31 15/01/2026The Department of Employment has proposed supplementing the Labor Code with one official public holiday to institutionalize the Politburo’s decision to designate November 24 each year as Vietnam Culture Day, with full pay for employees.
Magnitude-3.7 earthquake hits Mang Den in central Vietnam, no damage reported
Vietnam News 17:21 15/01/2026A magnitude-3.7 earthquake struck Mang Den Commune in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam on Wednesday evening, causing slight shaking in homes but no casualties or property damage.
25 tonnes of fake China-made cosmetics sold on Facebook, Shopee in Vietnam
Vietnam News 16:53 15/01/2026Police in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam have teamed up with officers from Hanoi and Ninh Binh Province, northern Vietnam to dismantle a large-scale cosmetic distribution ring that sold counterfeit Chinese-made products via Facebook and e-commerce platform Shopee.
Vietnam’s former food safety head sentenced to 15 years in prison, husband jailed for 5 years in bribery case
Vietnam News 13:45 15/01/2026The Hanoi People’s Court on Wednesday handed down a 15-year prison sentence to Tran Viet Nga, former head of the Vietnam Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health, for her responsibility for VND12.7 billion (US$482,560) in bribes taken by officials under her authority, while sentencing her husband, Le Hoang, former deputy director of the Department of Disease Prevention under the ministry, to five years in prison.
Vietnam PM urges faster social housing roll-out, streamlined procedures, digital transactions
Vietnam News 10:17 15/01/2026Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for stronger efforts to accelerate social housing development, cut red tape, and gradually move real estate transactions to a digital platform, as Vietnam seeks to expand affordable housing supply and build a stable, transparent property market.
In Ho Chi Minh City, elementary school kids rushed into IELTS preparation out of parents’ ‘obsession’
Education 08:28 15/01/2026The growing prominence of the IELTS certificate in university admissions, grade 10 entrance schemes, and overseas study has created a powerful pull in Vietnam, prompting many parents to enroll their children in IELTS preparation as early as elementary school.
Vietnam’s 2026 growth hinges on tariff negotiation signals: Standard Chartered
Economy 18:13 14/01/2026Vietnam’s economic growth outlook in 2026 will be shaped significantly by the progress and outcomes of tariff negotiations, according to experts from Standard Chartered, who suggest that non-manufacturing sectors could play a larger role in supporting growth amid positive credit conditions.
Singapore offers support for Vietnam’s international financial center push: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Economy 16:11 14/01/2026Singapore is ready to support the development of Vietnam’s newly established international financial center and promote connectivity between the two countries’ financial hubs, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during a meeting with Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh.
In Vietnam, live-streaming in classrooms raises concerns about student focus, privacy
Education 14:31 14/01/2026A quick search for 'classroom livestreaming' on TikTok reveals a range of scenarios in Vietnam: students prop their phone on the tables, reading comments while listening to lectures, and use discussion time to chat with online viewers.
Mistakes that would hinder expats’ success in Vietnam
Expat Life 12:18 14/01/2026Vietnam was ranked among the top five most loved destinations for foreigners in the Expat Insider 2025 survey by InterNations. This is great news not only for us Vietnamese but also a warm invitation to the global community.
4 killed, 6 injured in 3-vehicle collision on expressway in north-central Vietnam
Vietnam News 10:23 14/01/2026A serious collision involving two tractor-trailers and a 15-seater passenger bus occurred on an expressway in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam in the early hours of Wednesday, leaving four dead and six other injured.
